Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucca and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lucca and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,069 per month in Lucca vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,076 per month in Lucca vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,082 per month in Lucca vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lucca costs about 60% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lucca sits 51% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.19

$11.71 MX$198

50.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 €69.5

$46.59 MX$788

73.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 €10.33

$11.65 MX$197

3.09%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.80

$4.09 MX$69.2

-48.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.67

$1.37 MX$23.23

127.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.83 MX$14.09

72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 €5.85

$3.35 MX$56.7

103.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 €4.59

$6.91 MX$117

-22.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.73 MX$29.20

2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.26 MX$38.21

13.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.77 MX$29.91

83.62%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.12

$2.73 MX$46.19

75.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 €15.78

$9.18 MX$155

99.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.00 €12.89

$8.92 MX$151

68.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 €18.25

$12.60 MX$213

68.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.34

$3.02 MX$51.1

-9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.57 MX$26.55

36.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 €2.61

$2.13 MX$35.93

42.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 €2.97

$2.26 MX$38.28

52.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.00 MX$33.88

6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.06 MX$34.90

9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.18 MX$19.94

64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.50

$1.20 MX$20.35

-51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.21 €6.20

$4.63 MX$78.4

55.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €6.96

$10.69 MX$181

-24.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.62 MX$27.38

48.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.69

$2.88 MX$48.70

8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.57 MX$9.69

242.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.45 €30.47

$29.83 MX$504

18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.03

$5.45 MX$92.1

7.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.70 MX$62.6

-53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 €24.80

$5.98 MX$101

382.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.55 MX$26.26

35.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K €31.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

66.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.0K €30.9K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

38.72%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$336 €289

$89.1 MX$1,507

276.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.74 €10.95

$25.04 MX$423

-49.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.91 €28.29

$31.50 MX$532

4.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 €60.0

$67.8 MX$1,146

2.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.3 €45.78

$28.92 MX$489

84.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 €8.38

$5.05 MX$85.4

92.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$459 €395

$225 MX$3,803

104.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

178.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.7

$47.44 MX$802

124.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.86 €42.01

$44.98 MX$760

8.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 €82.6

$82.0 MX$1,386

17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €149

$92.1 MX$1,557

88.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 €709

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €593

$405 MX$6,852

70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 €1,275

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €899

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-19.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,130 €3,551

$3,995 MX$67.5K

3.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,219 €1,908

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-66.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,863 €1,602

$749 MX$12.7K

148.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

11.45

-67.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lucca: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $825 in Lucca versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 149% higher in Lucca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Lucca versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lucca vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lucca is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,104 per month in Lucca and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,069 in Lucca and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Lucca at $2,069. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lucca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lucca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.